A campaign has been started to support Buba Barrow to remain in Britain with his wife Alison Barrow, who teaches at Calthorpe Special School in Birmingham.

Buba from Gambia, who is under the threat of deportation, came to UK in 1995 on a visitors' visa. Two months later he applied for political asylum on the grounds of fear of persecution in Gambia. At the time and according to the law of the land, his action was legal and the Home Office issued him a letter recognising him as an asylum seeker.

He met and married Alison Gumbley, a Birmingham teacher, before a decision was made on his application. The couple then applied to the Home Office to allow Buba to stay on the grounds that he is married to a British citizen.Before replying the Home Office declared Buba, an illegal entrant.

The Home Office both refused his asylum and his application to stay on marriage grounds. Since arriving in the UK, Buba has furthered his education at college and is now in full-time employment as a skilled welder.

Allison, is an experienced teacher at Calthorpe Special School in Birmingham and has the full support from her colleagues and teaching union (N.U.T).They are not dependent on public resources to live in the UK. They are both working, have their own home and live in the Erdington district of Birmingham.

The Barrow Family have already written through their MP to the Secretary of State to reconsider the decision refusing Mr Barrow leave to remain on the grounds of his marriage to a British Citizen.

Buba has received a letter from the Home Office informing him that they are not willing to reconsider his application because in their opinion he is an " illegal entrant" and should to be deported.Buba, entered this country legally and applied for asylum within two months while his visa was still valid. His classification as an "illegal" immigrant, was made in January 1997 is wrong and it seems the Home Office have applied retrospectively, the Asylum and Immigration Act.

On the 15 May the campaign organised a leaflet distribution and petition signing during the C8 Meeting m Birmingham. Over 300 people signed the petition.Buba joined the picket outside Oxford Crown court on the I June, in support of the Campsfield Nine.

Please invite a campaign representative speaker to your Trade union, Church, Mosque, Gurdwarra, Mundi, Temple, college, university, constituency party or other meeting.'Buba Must Stay Campaign' has been formed by the family, friends and work colleagues to demand that Buba is allowed to remain in the UK, on the basis of his marriage.

The Buba Must Stay Campaign is supported by the West Midlands Anti-Deportation Campaign and cam be contacted:

Buba Must Stay Campaign

299-301 Birchfield Rd

Birmingham B38 9JY

Tel/fax O121-331-1511